This proposition met with instant approval, and the boys got ready to start out immediately after breakfast had been eaten and the lodge tidied up.
“I’ll tell you what we can do,” suggested Randy. “Why not have a swimming race? I don’t mean a little two-cent affair, but a real race, say, across the lake and back.”
“No such race for me,” declared Andy. “You fellows can race and I’ll be the judge and the stake holder. What are the stakes going to be? Why not make it a quart of ice-cream? Then while you’re doing the swimming I’ll place the ice-cream in a safe spot.”
“Yes, where none of us will be able to get at it even if we win it,” laughed Gif. “If there is any stake put up we’ll have to make you give a bond so that we’ll be sure the fellow who wins it gets it,” and then there was a laugh.
The boys were about ready to start when Jack sat down to fix one of his shoes. As he was doing this Fred gave a sudden exclamation.
“Listen! Don’t I hear somebody calling us?”
All listened, and presently from a distance they heard a cry.
“Hello, Jack Rover! Hello, Andy! Randy! Fred! Where are you?” and this cry was repeated several times.
“It’s somebody after us!” cried Randy, and then yelled as loudly as he could: